Pass the Chips

Researchers from Brandeis University may have found tortilla
chips to lower cholesterol. The investigators said that frying chips in
oil with phytosterola plant ingredientcan soak up cholesterol without
harming the taste. In a study of 10 participants, the researchers
found that low-density lipoprotein (LDL; "bad") cholesterol was
reduced by an average of 15%. The study had the participants eat two
1-oz servings of phytosterol-enriched tortilla chips for 4 weeks.

The researchers also reported no changes in the participants'highdensity
lipoprotein, and a 10% reduction in total cholesterol. The
spiked chips worked by blocking the body's absorption of LDL as
foods were eaten along with the chips. The investigators'method
of extending sterols'cholesterol-lowering benefits had the sterols
being heated and cooled so that they recrystallize in a form compatible
with fried foods.